Picket fence machine



(No Model.) f 2 Sheets-#811091; 1.

' P. W. KELLY. PIGKET PBNGB MACHINE. v No. 413,673. v Patented 001;.29, 1889.

' 3 UNITED STATEsPATE T OFFICE.

FRANKLIN W. KELLY, OF VERMONTVILLE, MICHIGAN.

PlCKET FENCE MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 413,673, dated October 29, 1889.

Application filed February 7, 1889- Serial No. 299,080. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANKLIN W. KELLY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Vermontville, in the county of Eaton and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Picket-Fence Machines, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in picket-fence machines; and the invention consists in the improved construction and arrangement of the parts, all as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, and shown in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a perspective view of my improved machine, showing it as in operation. Fig. 2 is a rear elevation of the twister-frame. Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the same. Fig.

4. is a section of the twister on line X X in' Fig. 3, and Fig. 5 is a detached perspective view of the two halvesof the twister separated.

A is a standard, to one side of which the rotary twisters are journaled in annular bearings B, formed in the'brackets O, which .are suitably secured to the sideof the standard.

Horizontal slots D are cut through said bearwhich correspond with slots Z) through the periphery. Each half of the twister'has integrallyformed with it one-half c of the hub of the twister, and in recesses d formed therein are journaled the anti-friction rollers e, which are at right angles to the wire-passages in the twister-wheels to receive the strain of the fencewires in twisting, and thereby relieve the friction of the wire in passing through said wirespassages. The half E of the twister is provided with a circumferential sprocket-gear F,-and the other half E is provided with a flange F, except in the top twister, which has a bevel-gear F instead of the said flange. 'The two halves of the twister are secured together by means of bolts or screws f, which pass through corresponding screw-holes f in the halves of the twisters. Thebevehgear F of the upper twister meshes with the bevel drive-pinion G, which is secured to a shaft journaled in a suitable bracket G, secured on the side of the standard, and is actuated by a suitable crank-handle H on the front side of the machine. From the top twister motion is communicated to the other twisters by an endless drive-chain I, which passes around the sprocket-Wheels of the upper and lower twisters, and is brought in contact with one side of the sprocket-wheel of the central twister by means of a tightene'rpulley J, which is journaled on the free end of a bracket J, which is adjustably secured to the side of the standard by means of the bolt g engaging into a slot of said bracket. By this manner of conveying motion the chain may be readily tightened as it becomes too slack, and it can be readily removed from the twisters for the purpose of inserting the fence-wires into the twisters by slackening the bolt 9 to relieve the tension on the chain. At thesame time this tightener-pulley J guides the front portion of the sprocket-chain and prevents it from coming in contact with the rear portion of the chain. By removing. the sprocket-chain from the twisters and by making the wire-passages a in each twister to register successively with the slots D in the bearings of the twisters the fence-wires can be engaged or disengaged into or from the twisters.

K are the travelers by means of which the machine is supported and guided in operation upon the guide-rail L. These travelers K are secured near the corners of the rectangular pass through elongated slots j in the bar M, and are provided upon their screw-threaded ends with adjusting thumb-nuts 7r. Bythis construction the bar M may be adjusted in relation to the standard A so as to hold the machine at all times in vertical position when going up or down hill, as it will be seen that the adjustment of the thumb-nuts 7c and upon the ends of the rods N will change the adjustment of the travelers on the bar M up or down in relation to the travelers .on the side of the standard. The slots j are provided for the purpose of giving play to the rods N through the bar M. The rail L, with which the travelers engage, is secured to the supporting-bar P at the necessary distance apart to permit the travelers to have a free movement on the rail. One end of this carryingrail is provided with a clamping device Q, by means of which this nut may be clamped at the proper height to the fence, and at the other end this carrying-rail is clamped to the ground support R, which is provided with eyes Z, into which the wire strands are engaged.

S is a picket-guide, and this forms with its free end a spring-clamp to engage and hold the upper end of the pickets. To adjust this springclamp vertically I secure it to a screw-nut m, which engages upon the adjusting-screw n. This screw is journaled in suitable bearings n, and is provided at its upper end with a crank-handle o for the convenient turning of the screw to adjust the picket-guide up or down to any desired height. The object of this construction is to adjust the pickets while weaving the fence, so as to provide for the sag between the supporting-posts. To this end I give the screw a pitch of, say, a quarter of an inch, whereby every time a new picket is inserted I raise the picket-guide one turn of the screw until I arrive at the middle between two posts, and then I reverse the screw to lower the picket-guide, one turn for every picket, until I arrive at the end of the panel.

WVith the proper tension on the fence-wires the pickets will adjust themselves to hang even, and thereby improve the appearance of the fence. To effect the proper tension of the fence-wires I use the following device: An adjustable tripod T, one leg T of which is preferably longer than the other two, is adjusted in line with the fence and preferably placed against the end of the fence-post, as shown. Upon the other two legs is journaled in suitable bearings 19 the Windlass U, to which one end of the tension-cable V is secured. This Windlass is provided with an actuating-lever \V, which engages into a ratchet on the Windlass by means of the pawl q, and a back-stop 0' also engages with the ratchet-wheel. The other end of the tensioncable V is secured in any suitable manner to a clevis X. To this clevis is pivotally secured a three-strand evener Y, consisting of the main lever s, in the long arm of which a sheave t is secured, and over which the top strand passes. To the short arm of the lever s is secured by a suitable clevis the lever u, the arms of which are of equal length, and are provided at their ends with sheaves 11, over which the central and lower strands pass, all so arranged that by winding the tension-cable V upon the Windlass the three strands of wire are put under equal tension, sufficient purchase being provided with the lever and Windlass to put any desired tension on the wires.

While building the fence I maintain the same tension on the wire, as I find by practical experience that the stretch on the wire in twisting the pickets compensates for the twisting, and a much tighter and better fence is obtained in this manner than by making use of a let-go tension.

As some parts of the construction herein described and shown have already been described and claimed by me in a patent dated October 30, 1888, No. 391,851, I do notintcnd to claim such constructions herein; but

Vhat I claim as my invention is 1. In a fence-machine, the combination, with the twister-frame, of the rectangular outrigger-frame pivotally secured at one side to the standard of the twister-frame, the bar M on the outrigger-frame, and the bumpers 0, all substantially as and for the purpose specified.

2. The combination,with the standard of the machine, of the outrigger-frame L, pivotally secured thereto and provided with the travelers K, the bar M, secured to said outrigger-frame, the rods N, having the hooked ends pivotally engaging into sockets in the bumper O, and the adjusting thumb-nuts 7a and 70 on the screw-threaded ends of said rods, all arranged to operate substantially as described.

3. In a picket-fence machine, a verticallyadjustable picketeguide carried by a screwnut engaging with an adjusting-screw, substantially as described.

4. In a picket-fence machine, the combination, with the twister-frame, of a vertically-adj ustable picket-guide S, provided with the nut m and the adjusting-screw n engag: ing into said nut, and provided with a crankhandle 0, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I atfix my signature, in presence of two witnesses, this 24th day of January, 1889.

FRANKLIN \V. KELLY.

Witnesses:

J. PAUL MAYER, ED. MCBREARTY.

IOC 

